Shaft mucking machine



Aug. 15, 1950 Filed March 12, 1947 s. s. GLUCK SHAFT MUCKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EN TOR. 61701965 5. GLUGK AITOR/VE'Y 1950 G. s. GLUCK SHAFT mucxmc MACHINE Z SheetS-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1947 a Am I Y Z 7 0 U E a m a 1, mm m a. wow %//%L7/v/%. /.Z63. w a m 2 I E l 1 G 9 l 0 6 1 o R 9 0 T z 3 I I! (J v] k w 1 o I 5 6 fl m y 90 J B o w W 47 7 1.72. z /MX759. /z/z///%//zz xlxzr/f/rzvw ZWWHZ 56 1 J M i I. I. m 1 6 6 w I 0 XXX/ L,

Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT (OFFICE SHAFT MUCKING MACH INE George S. Gluck, Butte, Mont. Y Application March 12, 1947, Serial No. 734,022

Thisinvention relates to apparatus for mucking while sinking mineshafts. As a rule, shafts sunk for mining purposes are rectangular in cross-section, although occasionally they are circular or elliptical. After theround of holes has been drilled in the bottom of the shaft being sunkand blasted, the resulting muck has to be conveyed into a suitable container and hoisted to the surface. The operation of removing the broken rock is known as mucking. 7

Hand mucking has been'most commonly used, but in recent years various types of scrapers, clamshell or similar buckets, as well as powered shovels, have been applied for this purpose; However, since all this equipment'has to be set at and around the bottom of the shaft and then removed from the shaft after each round, the time consumed would often be about equal to that involved in hand mucking.

It is the main'object of this invention to provide a shaft mucking machine which is simple and efficient in operation, and which as a unit is lowered into the shaft after the manner of an ordinary mine cage to the desired elevation above the muck pile resulting from drilling and blasting in sinkingthe shaft, by means of a hoisting cable, the machine remaining in that position until the mucking operation is completed, after which the machine is lifted out of the shaft.

Another object of the'invention is the provision, as part of the said mucking machine, of a digging bucket adapted to pick up masses of the 'accumulated muck, of a chute under which a suitable i container is adapted to be placed to receive the muck, of means for shifting-the bucket from any other position in the shaft to a position over the chute, and of means for lifting the bucket and means foropeningor closing the bucket.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will become apparent inthe following description, wherein characters 'of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawings. It is'to be noted thatthe drawings are intended for the purpose of illus tration only, and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all parts of the exact details of construction shown or described excepting insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a mine shaft, showing the mucking machine of this invention suspended in the shaft, in side elevation; Fig. 2

is a similar sectional view through the mine n- Claims. (01. 214-415) the mucking machine infront elevation; 3

is a fragmentary vertical section through the mine shaft looking in the direction opposite to Fig. 2 and showing the machine in rear elevation;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on'the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numoral 10 indicates a cage-like frame comprising essentially, at the upper level, opposed channel members H- extending longitudinally, and opposed lateral frame members 12 and I3 rigid with the former. At the lower level the frame to comprises the two longitudinal beams or rails 'IQ- and the lateral braces IS. The upper'frame members Hl2-l3 are secured to the lower frame members I4I5 by means of uprights l6 which lie substantially in a vertical plane bisecting the cage, by the rear uprights l'! which are positioned relatively close together and extend between the rearbrace l5 and the rear lateral member l2 The structure for providing a rigid cage-like frame described above is offered merely as one example of how the frame may be provided and in order to illustrate the invention with a minimum of non-essential detail, for any other suitable structure to provide the frame may of course be used.

The median uprights l6 extend above the frame level lll2l3, substantially as shown, and at their upperextremities are pivoted to the ends of a horizontal rod or the like 23, as shown at 22. A

bonnet 24 covers the cage, and through the medium of a draw bar 25 the cage is suspended from a hoisting cable 26. Mounted on the upper frame level on an suitable cross members? and I9 supported on the frame members H, are hoists'20 and 28a, and 2! and Zia, respectively. A platform 2'! is supported on the lower frame level l4--l5, and has a slot 28 therethrough, as shown in Fig. 4. 'Between ears 29 secured against the underside of the member l3, the upper end of a boom 39 is pivotally suspended; in its lower extremity the boom car ries two spaced pulleys 3i on a horizontal axis. In the drawings'four separate hoists are shown, the two hoists 20 and 20a having a common and likewise the two hoists 2| and Eta have a common axis. The hoist 2!] drives the drum 32; the hoist 20a drives the drum 3%; the hoist 2| drives the drum 34, and the hoist 21a drives-the drum 35. Showing four separate hoists, each driving a drum, is done here for the sake of simplicity and to avoid the necessity of adding unimportant detail to the disclosure; but in actual practice, only two hoists would be used, each liav'-- ing two selectively operable drums. Also for the sake of simplicity, the power controls for the hoists are shown more or less symbolically at 36 and the brake controls at 31. Hoists which would be used for this purpose may be of any suitable types, such as, for instance, electrically or pneumatically driven hoists.

Spaced pulleys 38 an 39 are mounted on the cross member I 3, and trained thereabout are cables 40 and 4 I,Lres'pectively, leading from the drums 34' and 35, respectively. The rope 40 is attached to a digging bucket 44, such as, for instance, a clamshell bucket, and the rope 4| is trained about the pulley 42 of the bucket, in the usual manner, for opening or closing the bucket.

These ropes are also trained about the pulleys 3|, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. 7 V

A rope 45 leads from the drum 32, and suspended therefrom is a sinking pump 45 having a rubber hose 4'! extending downward therefrom, the latter having a strainer 48 on its extremity. A discharge rubberhose'49 leads upwardfrom the pump 46 and is connected to a pipe 50 suspended by hangers l from one frame member H. A hose 52 is connected to the other end'of the pipe 50 and leads to a water line on the surface, not shown. The rope 45 is trained about one of a pair of spaced pulleys 53 secured against the cross member l2. The rope 54 leading from the drum 33, has its lower extremity secured at 55 to the lower end of the boom 30, after passing over a pulley 55 supported between the rear uprights H.

In order to restrict the movement of the frame ID to vertical movement, channels 51 are mounted against the uprights IS with their grooves facing outward, and complementary rails 58 are mounted against the walls 59 of the shaft, in any suitable manner. The frame ID is lowered into the shaft with the rails 58 registering in the grooves of the channels 51, to the desired level above the muck pile at the bottom of the shaft, where the frame remains suspended from the hoisting machine, not shown, on which the cable 26 is wound, during the mucking operation. However, the frame could also be jacked against the shaft wall plates, not shown, by means of jacks, not shown. The moveable chute 60 is suspended from four rods 6| which extend downward from trolleys 62 which ride on the webs 53 of the frame members 14. Thus thechute may be moved longitudinally along the frame,

and to move the chute any suitable means, notshown, may be provided.

After suspending the frame I0 in the shaft, as stated, the chute 60 is move forward to about reach with its lip a receptacle 64 into which it is intended to muck the broken rock. Such receptacle may be a sinking bucket, a car, or a skip. Connections are made with compressed air, water pipe and electric outlets, and the ma-, chine is ready for operation in the following man-- ner.

Upon applying power to the hoist 20a its drum will wind up the rope 54, thereby swinging the boom with its empty bucket 44 to any desired angle. With the boom held stationary at the desired angle, the open digging bucket is let down on the muck pile by slackening the ropes 40 and 4|, which is accomplished by releasing the brake controls 31 of the hoists 2| and Ho. Then, by applying power to the hoist 2 In its drum 35 takes up the digging bucket closing line 4|, the jaws of the bucket 44 are closed, thus filling the bucket with muck. Now applying power to both hoists 2| and 2| 0., their respective drums 34 and 35 wind up the ropes 40 and 4!, respectively, thereby raising the filled bucket. The brake of the boom line or rope 54 is then released by its control 31 on the hoist 20a, permitting the rope 54 to unwind so that the weight of the loaded bucket and of the boom itself will carry the bucket to its original position, shown in Fig. '1, without the application of any outside power- The bucket is then emptied on to the moveable chute 60, and the muck slides down the chute into the receptacle. This completes one cycle of the operation, and this cycle is then repeated, with the angle of the boom being each time adjusted as desired to bring the bucket 44 to a new position over the muck pile.

Although the sinking pump 46 is not, strictly speaking, a part of the mucking machine, it is nevertheless desirable to include it in the general assembly of the machine because, as a general rule, a sinking pump is an indispensable part of shaft sinking equipment, and if it is handled separately its handling may interfere with the;

handling of the mucking machine, owing to a lack of available space. e

Normally the sinking pump would rest at the level of, or on, the platform 21, and would be lowered to the bottom of the shaft when its use is required. The rope 45, however, could be used also for handling a sinking bucket instead of a sinking pump. In that case the sinking bucket, not shown, is lowered to the bottom of the shaft, where it is filled with muck in the manner described and then hoistedto the level of the mucking machine, where it is emptied for transfer of the muck. In other words, the rope 45 is usable either for handling of the sinkingpump, as shown, or sinking bucket, not shown, interchangeably, depending upon the pumping demands and upon thegeneral set-up of the sinking operation. After all muck has beenremoved from the shaft, the mucking machine is raised high enough to be out of reach of flying rocks during blasting of a following round.

In the actual construction of the machine, the operator would stand on the platform 21 and would operate the hoists of the machine by standard remote control means, not shown.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing fromv the spirit and scope of the invention. A V

I claim:

1. A shaft mucking machine comprising a frame adapted to be lowered into a shaft, winding means on said frame, ropes suspended from said winding means and attached thereto, a digging bucket secured to the lower ends of said ropes, a boom, the upper end of said boom being pivoted to said frame, the other end of said boom having spaced pulleys thereon, said ropes being passed over said pulleys between said bucket and said winding means, additional winding means on said frame, a rope suspended from said additional winding means and attached thereto, the lower end of said last-named rope being secured to said boom below said upper end thereof,-

said first-named winding means being adapted to raise or lower said bucket, said last-named winding means being adapted to swing said boom through an arc in a vertical plane about the upper pivoted end thereof and thereby swing said bucket in substantially the plane of the boom.

2. The machine set forth in claim 1, having a chute, means suspending said chute from said frame, said bucket being swingable by said boom as aforesaid from a position distant from said chute to a position directly over said chute.

3. The machine set forth in claim 1, having a chute, means suspending said chute from said frame, said means for suspending said chute from said frame being longitudinally slidably mounted on said frame.

4. The machine set forth in claim 1, having a chute, said frame including a pair of spaced parallel rails extending longitudinally of the frame,

trolleys mounted on said rails, and spaced rods secured at their upper ends to said trolleys and at their lower ends to said chute.

5. A shaft mucking machine comprising a frame including upper horizontal frame members forming an upper frame section, lower horizontal frame members forming a lower frame section, and vertical frame members securing said upper and lower frame members together to form said frame, a boom having its upper end mounted in said upper frame section adjacent the forward end thereof, spaced pulleys on the lower end of said boom, said lower frame section having a longitudinal opening therethrough, said boom extending through said opening, spaced pulleys on said upper frame section forward of said upper end of said boom, winding means on said upper frame section having spaced ropes attached thereto, said ropes being trained about said second-named pulleys and thence extending downward and rearward and being trained about the rearward sides of said first-named pulleys, said ropes having a digging bucket secured thereto at their lower extremities, an additional pulley on said upper frame section adjacent the rear end thereof, a single pulley mounted on said frame between said upper and lower frame sections, additional winding means on said upper frame section having a rope attached thereto and trained about said additional pulley and thence 4 about said single pulley and secured at its free end to the lower end of said boom.

6. The machine set forth in claim 5, said lowstill additional pulley and depending from the latter, a sinking pump attached to the free end of said last-named rope, a pipe secured to said upper frame section, a hose connecting said pipe with said pump at one end of the pipe, the other end of the pipe being adapted to be connected to a water line.

GEORGE S. GLUCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 750,003 McClellon Jan. 19, 1904 774,828 Campbell Nov. 15, 1904 1,317,366 Greenough et al. Sept. 30, 1919 2,212,711 MacIsaac Aug. 27, 1940 2,326,172: Riddell Aug. 10, 1943 2,358,543 Tofilemire Sept. 19, 1944 2,426,591 Boskovich Sept. 2, 1947 2,440,501 Erickson Apr. 27, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 577,621 Germany June 2, 1933 691,070 Germany May 16, 1940 

